Like Fire and Ice
by Fnuggi
Summary: A chance meeting leads to something more. Rated M because of domestic abuse and hinted rape. Steve/OC.
1. A Chance Meeting

Some days, Steve Rogers, known to the public as Captain America, liked taking his motorcycle out and drive around town with no real destination in mind. He usually did this after a mission, especially if it had been a mission that had gone wrong, as a way of processing all the emotions that came it.

However, today, Steve had decided to leave his motorcycle in the garage at Stark tower and just walk. As usual, he had no particular destination in mind, but the weather was beautiful, so it didn't really bother him. However, the nice weather also meant that there was a lot of people outside, and because of this, Steve was not prepared for what happened next.

He had been so distracted by his thoughts about the Avengers and their latest mission that he had not seen the woman walking towards him with a cup of coffee in one hand, and her phone in the other until it was too late. The feeling of the hot liquid against his skin caused him to cry out in pain.

"Oh my god, I'm so, so sorry!" The woman was saying. To be honest, it had been the shock of the woman colliding with him as much as the coffee now staining his clothes that had caused his exclamation. He had been hurt worse before when he went on missions for SHIELD and his ruined clothes could always be replaced.

"It's alright ma'am, I wasn't watching where I was going" Steve replied, trying to keep his heart from beating too fast. He had always been socially awkward, especially when it came to women, and that was one thing seventy years asleep hadn't changed.

"Well, then I guess we're both to blame, because I wasn't looking where I was going either" by now, the woman had put away her phone and was smiling sheepishly.

Steve was relieved that she didn't seem to recognise him. His mask had been torn off in the battle of Manhattan, and as a result of this, a lot of people knew what he looked like, leaving him with very little privacy. It was one of the things that he didn't like about this new world he had woken up in, was that the media was even more aggressive than they had been back in the forties.

He was just glad that most of the attention seemed to be on Tony, who, despite being a public figure and used to the attention, also seemed to be fed up with the endless questions about the battle.

"How about I buy you a cup of coffee to make it up to you?" The woman's voice pulled him back to the present.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Steve asked. He felt even more awkward than he had before, because he hadn't been paying attention to her when she spoke. Finally, he got a good look at the woman standing in front of him. The first thing that he noticed about her, was shorter than he was, which in itself wasn't anything extraordinary since he was very tall himself.

The next thing that he noticed about her, was her eyes, which were green. Her auburn hair fell to just below her shoulders in soft waves and Steve could also see freckles dotted over the bridge of her nose.

"I asked you if you wanted to grab a cup of coffee? My treat. It's the least I can do after ruining your clothes" She said, gesturing to the dark stain on his shirt.

"But I- I don't even know your name" Steve stuttered, unable to control his voice. The frantic beating of his heart didn't do anything to make him less nervous either.

"Catriona Allaway, but you can just call me Cat" She said and then added: "And what might I call you, stranger?"

"Steve. Steve Rogers" When he saw her eyes widen ever so slightly in recognition, he swallowed hard. Of course, he had been a fool to believe that she hadn't recognized him. It seemed that even though he hadn't been nearly as much in the spotlight during the battle of Manhattan and the aftermath that followed as Tony had, everyone still seemed to know who he was and it frustrated him to no end.

However, much to his surprise, Cat didn't say anything about him being Captain America.

"Come on, I know a great coffee shop just around the corner" She said, motioning for him to follow her.

And he did, ignoring the feeling of guilt as his thoughts wandered back to Peggy. After all, it was just a cup of coffee. Nothing had to happen between the two of them.

* * *

It had been a long time since Steve had enjoyed himself so much around someone who wasn't a member of the Avengers. Ever since SHIELD had dug him out of the ice, he had felt apart from the rest of the world, even when he was with his team. There was so much about this strange, new world he didn't understand, and he doubted he ever would, no matter how hard he tried.

But with Cat, he finally felt at ease. She still hadn't said anything about him being Captain America, and he was grateful for that. It would have been the first thing most other people would have asked him about, but that hadn't been the case with Cat.

Instead, she had told him about her life and her work as a detective with the NYPD and her team. The way she spoke about them made it clear to Steve that they were as close as the Avengers, despite not being superheroes.

With everything that had happened to the Avengers lately, Steve was more than happy to just sit back and listen to what Cat was telling him, adding a comment here and there, but otherwise staying silent.

However, Cat soon fell silent, and Steve wasn't sure what to say to her to keep the conversation going.

After a few minutes of silence, Cat finally spoke again,

"I wanted to thank you" she said quietly, her fingers wrapped around the now empty coffee mug.

"What for?" Steve asked, genuinely curious.

"During the battle of New York, you rescued a group of people being held hostage in a bank" Steve stared at Cat blankly. If he had to be completely honest, everything surrounding the battle was a blur in his mind and while he did remember saving the people in the bank, he couldn't say that he'd be able to recognize any of them if he were to meet them again.

"I was one of the people in the bank and I was so sure that I was going to die. But then you showed up and saved us" Cat said, her voice still hushes so as to avoid attracting any unwanted attention.

"I was just doing my job ma'am" Steve replied, blushing slightly.

"I already told you, you can just call me Cat" she said, giggling. This caused Steve to blush even more.

Just then, Cat's cellphone went off, distracting both of them. She glanced down at the display on her phone before answering it.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Duty calls" She said apologetically. "I really enjoyed myself, though. Maybe we could do it again some other time?" she asked, offering Steve a small smile.

For a minute, Steve was tempted to say no. What he did was dangerous and he didn't want to risk getting Cat involved in the affairs of SHIELD and the Avengers. Plus, he was still feeling guilty about everything that had happened between him and Peggy, even though it had all happened a long time ago.

However, before Steve could protest Cat had scribbled her number down on a napkin and handed it to him.

"I'll see you around" She said before she got up and left the shop.

For a minute, Steve just sat there, not quite sure what to do, but then he put the napkin in the pocket of his jacket and got up and left as well.


	2. Flashback: part one

_Cat sighed as the door to the apartment she shared with her boyfriend of three years fell shut behind her. It had been another exhausting case, but in the end, her and her team had apprehended the guy they had been after for some time now._

_She dropped her bag in the hallway and walked into the living room where her boyfriend, Keith, was asleep on the couch. She was glad that he was asleep. He did not like it when she came home late, and he had a tendency to get violent when things did not go as he wanted them to._

_Maybe if she was lucky, she could get to bed before he woke up._

_The stench of alcohol and cigarette smoke was thick in the air, and Cat knew that Keith had been drinking again. He hadn't been like this when they had first met. He had been so nice to her and for a while, everything had seemed perfect, but then he had changed._

_Cat hadn't noticed it at first. The change had been so subtle and when she did notice, she had just brushed it off as if it was nothing._

_Now she knew better._

_She still remembered the first time he had started yelling at her. It had been a night much like now. Cat had been out with a few of her friends from high school and had come home late. Keith had started complaining as soon as she walked through the door, about how she hadn't been home when he got home from work and how she hadn't been there to cook dinner for him._

_She had tried to tell him that she wasn't his servant and that if he wanted food, he could make it himself, but that had only made him angrier than he already was._

_That was when the yelling had really started._

_In all the time they had been together, they had never fought like this, and even though she would never admit it to anyone, Keith had scared her._

_The argument had ended with Keith punching her in the face, saying how a woman should know her place in the world. At the time, Cat had been too stunned to do anything about it. He had never spoken to her like that and she wondered what had changed._

_Of course, she knew full and well what had changed between them._

_It was the new friends Keith had made through his job as a pizza delivery guy. They were the ones who had talked him into smoking, and they were also the ones who had gotten him addicted to alcohol and a number of drugs._

_Some friends they were._

_But as much as she hated what they had turned Keith into, she could never hate Keith. Not really. Oh sure, she got angry with him, but she always ended up forgiving him again, even though she knew that what he was doing was wrong._

_Over time, she learned that everything was easier for everyone if she didn't struggle, so she stopped. She was still angry with him, but if she just let him yell at her and have his way with her, it would be easier for everyone._

_Just then, Cat heard a sound coming from the living room and froze. keith was awake. Maybe, if she was lucky, he hadn't noticed her coming home and would fall asleep again without doing anything to her._

_However, that was not to be._

"_Get in here bitch" he called, the words slurred. He was obviously still drunk, and it made Cat's skin crawl just to think about it._

_For a fleeting moment, Cat considered staying in the bathroom where she had been getting ready for bed, but she knew that if she didn't do as he wanted her to, she would only make it worse for herself. So dressed as she was, in her panties and an oversized t-shirt she used for sleeping, she walked into the living room._

"_Yes?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She knew what was coming next, and she didn't like it. Not one bit._

"_Lie down next to me" His tone of voice left no room for arguments. Cat gulped and walked over to the couch and sat down on it._

"_That's my girl" Keith murmured, grabbing her hand. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes coming off him was almost enough to make Cat sick, but she managed to control herself._

_When he started fondling her, Cat was ready to cry. It wasn't the first time he had done something like this to her, but it didn't make it any less humiliating._

_Cat had no idea for how long it had been going on tonight. For all she cared, it could have been minutes or it could have been hours. The only thing she knew was that she wanted it to be over as soon as possible._

"_Get up and take your clothes off" Keith commanded, letting go of her._

"_No, I- I'm not going to do it" She protested, trying to push away from him. She didn't want him to rape her. Not again. However, she knew that her protests was in vain and that he would have his way with her, no matter what she did._

"_Do it right now, bitch, or I'll make you regret it!" Keith growled, narrowing his eyes at her._

_She did as she was told, and standing completely naked in front of him, she could no longer hold back the tears. She felt utterly and completely humiliated, and she knew that Keith was not done with her yet._

_Two hours later, when Keith had fallen back asleep, Cat got up, picked up her clothes and went into their shared bedroom._

_What she saw in the mirror covering one of the doors of their closet made her want to cry all over again. Her cheeks were red from all the times Keith had slapped her and she was sure her arms would be covered in bruises tomorrow as well._

_It was a good thing that she had a lot of experiences in covering up bruises like the ones she was now sporting. So far, her colleagues at the NYPD hadn't noticed anything and she hoped she could keep it that way._

_Even though she knew full and well that what Keith was doing to her was wrong, she was terrified of what he would do to her if she ever tried to get help._

_With that thought, she put her pantties and shirt back on and went to bed. However, it would be several hours before she was calm enough to fall asleep and when she did, she had nightmares like she always did when things like this happened._


	3. Closure

Steve Rogers had no idea what to do. It had been a week since the coffee incident, and he still hadn't called Cat. He had tried, but every time he picked up the phone to make the call, the guilt resurfaced and he would chicken out.

Deep down, he knew it was ridiculous. He had fought the nazis during the war and helped save New York with the Avengers, but when it came to Cat, he felt utterly and completely lost. During the war, there hadn't really been time for romance and it was only when he met Peggy that he even started considering the possibility of a relationship with someone.

However, that had all gone down the drain when he had crashed in the arctic and when he had woken up in the twenty first century, he had been too busy trying to make sense of this strange new world to even think about a romantic relationship with someone.

Just then, Tony walked into the room.

"What have you got there, Cap?" He asked, gesturing to the napkin steve had been holding.

"N- nothing" Steve replied, blushing. Absorbed as he had been in his memories, he had not heard Tony walk into the room and the other man had caught him off guard, hence the blushing.

"Well, it's obviously something, Capsicle, or else you wouldn't be blushing like that" Tony replied, walking over to the bar. "You want a drink?" He asked, holding up a bottle of scotch for Steve to see.

"No thanks, I'm good" Steve replied, having recovered from his previous embarrassment.

"Suit yourself" Tony said, pouring himself a glass of scotch.

Several long minutes passed before either one of them spoke and when they did, it was Tony who spoke first.

"Seriously Cap, what's up?" He said, none of his usual arrogance present. "And don't try to tell me that it's nothing" He added quickly.

Without a word, Steve handed the napkin to Tony. For a few moments, Tony just stared at the napkin. He had never had any problems with girls, but then again, after he'd slept with them once, he most likely never saw them again.

"This is what you're so worried about? A girl?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Yes" He replied and then added: "I met her a week ago and we went out for coffee together" Steve didn't feel the need to go into details about how exactly he had met Cat and what they had talked about while spending time together.

"You're thinking about Peggy, aren't you?" It was the second time that night that Tony had completely caught Steve off guard, and for a moment, Steve said nothing and merely stared at Tony.

"How do you know about her?" Steve asked

"She practically raised me. My dad was always so absorbed in his work, he rarely had time for me and it only became worse after you went missing. So Peggy stepped in and helped take care of me" Tony replied, fidgeting. He wasn't used to talking about emotional stuff, but he was the only person besides Steve who knew Peggy.

Steve didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet, waiting for Tony to continue.

"If you want to, I could find her address for you" Tony offered. It would be easy for him to look her up, and if she was dead, he could always find out what had happened to her.

Steve merely nodded, too choked up with emotions to talk, and with that, Tony got up and left, leaving behind an empty glass.

* * *

Two days later, Steve was standing in a hospital in London, trying to find the courage he needed to go into the room where he knew Peggy was.

He had never before in his life felt as nervous as he did now. He had no idea if Peggy would even remember him after all this time, and he hated the feeling of uncertainty currently nagging him.

Finally, he took a deep breath and pushed the door to the room open.

When his eyes fell on Peggy, he stopped dead in his tracks. Her hair had turned grey, and her face had become furrowed. But despite changes in her physical appearance, there was some things about her that hadn't changed one bit.

Her eyes were still the same shade of brown that he remembered from before he had disappeared and they still had the same determined glint in them, despite her old age.

"Steve?" She asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Steve nodded, not trusting himself to speak. For several moments, neither of them said anything, but then Peggy spoke again.

"You're late, captain" Steve smiled at this. Despite her age, she still sounded very much like the Peggy he remembered, and it felt good to know that time hadn't changed her that much.

"Sorry ma'am" Steve replied, not sure if it was okay for him to approach her.

"I waited for you" Peggy said, sounding sad.

"I know" Steve replied and then added: "I'm sorry I kept you waiting for as long as I did"

Peggy smiled sadly and said: "It's okay Steve. You did what you had to do and I'm proud of you for saving the lives of all those innocent people"

Steve walked over next to Peggy's bed and crouched down, taking her hand in his.

"Were you happy? I mean, after I disappeared?" He asked quietly, looking her in the eyes.

"Yes, very much" She said, and Steve could see some of the sadness in her eyes disappear. "I got married two years after you went missing, and we were happy together" She paused, closing her eyes as if to remember her past better.

"I'm glad to hear that" Steve said.

Steve stayed with Peggy for several hours, talking about the past, what had happened to Peggy in the time he had been gone and what had happened to him in the time he had been back in the world.

She told him about her children and grandchildren, and the warmth with which she spoke of them made Steve smile. It meant a lot to him that she, despite his disappearance, had managed to find happiness with someone else and move on with her life.

In return, Steve told her about The Avengers, Tony in particular, and also about the other four members of the Avengers, and when he told her that he was sure she would have liked Natacha, she laughed. It was a sound that Steve hadn't realized he'd missed until he heard him, and it send a pang of sadness through him.

Peggy noticed and leaned in closer and touched Steve on the cheek, making him look at her.

"Steve, you can't keep living in the past. You have to let go of me and find someone else" She said quietly, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"But what if I don't want to let go of you?" Steve whispered, the feeling of distress growing in him.

"You have to. I have lived a full life and I've been happy. You deserve this as well" She said, sounding more like her old self now. "And when you do find that special someone-" she added "- Do me one favor: take her dancing like you would have with me"

"I promise you Peggy, I will" Steve finally knew where he wanted to take Cat the next time they were going out together.

"Good" She said and then sighed. "I think it's time for me to take a nap. I feel so very tired" Steve nodded and leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead. After that, he left the hospital, feeling much lighter. It was as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders and and for the first time since he had first met Cat a week ago, he smiled.


	4. An Unexpected Call

**AN:** First of all, I want to thank all of you for favouriting this story and reviewing it. It really means a lot to me to know that you like what I write, so I hope you'll like this next chapter as well. And secondly, I want to apologize for taking so long with writing this. Real life got pretty hectic with graduation and all, but here it is and I hope you like it~

* * *

Cat was trying not to think about the fact that it had been almost two weeks since her and Steve had had coffee together and he still hadn't called her. SHe had known that the chances of him actually calling her were slim to none, but she had really enjoyed the the time they had spent together that afternoon.

She was currently trying to finish the report she was supposed to write on the latest case she had finished with her partner, Gareth, but she was finding it extremely hard to focus on it because her thoughts kept wandering back to Steve. Hadn't he enjoyed the time they'd spent together? Was that why he hadn't called her back?

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by a cup of coffee being set down on her desk by Gareth.

"You looked like you needed it" He said with a small smile and then added: "What's up?"

"Why would you think anything was up?" Cat countered, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. As much as she liked Gareth, she wasn't sure that this was something she'd want to discuss with him.

Ever since they had become work partners, he had been acting overprotective around her. It was true that she was younger than he was, and that his over protectiveness of her had saved her life on a number of occasions, but sometimes, it was so annoying.

"You've been staring at your computer for the past fifteen minutes without writing anything. So something's obviously bothering you" He replied, sitting down on the corner of her desk.

"You're right, something is bothering me" Cat finally admitted, crossing her arms in front of her in what Gareth could only interpret as being a gesture of discomfort.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Gareth asked.

"There's this guy I met a couple of weeks ago" Cat started hesitantly, her fingers now curled around the mug of coffee Gareth had just brought her.

When Cat mentioned a guy, it was Gareth's turn to raise an eyebrow. In all the time he had known her, Cat had never once dated a guy, and Gareth suspected that it had to do with her abusive ex-boyfriend, Keith.

Gareth hadn't noticed anything unusual when he first met Cat, but as he got to know her, the signs had become clearer and clearer. He had done his best to support Cat and be there for her when she needed it.

He had never told Cat about it, but when they had arrested Keith and his case had ended with him being sent to prison for two years, It given Gareth a sense of satisfaction unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Ever since he had first met Cat, he had felt very protective of her, and it was definitely part of, if not the whole reason, why it had felt so good to finally be able to put Keith behind bars where he belonged.

"But that's great, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess it is" Cat sighed and then added: "It's just that I gave him my number, but it's been two weeks and he still hasn't called me back, even though he seemed to enjoy the time we spend together as much as I did"

"Cat, if he's not going to call you back, then he's obviously not someone you'd want to waste your time on" Gareth said firmly. "And besides, it's his loss. He obviously doesn't realize what he's missing out on" The words caused Cat to blush and bite her lip nervously.

After a moment, Cat finally spoke.

"You're right Gareth" But even though she knew that he was in fact right, the idea that Steve wasn't going to call her still hurt.

"Of course I'm right" Gareth replied with a smile as he stood up again.

"You're so full of yourself!" Cat laughed

"Anything to see that lovely smile of yours" Gareth replied as he walked away, leaving Cat to finish her report.

Thirty minutes later, Cat saved her report and got up to stretch, just as her phone rang.

Picking up her phone,she looked down at the display, wondering who'd call her at this time. None of the people that she considered her friends would call her while she was at work unless there was an emergency.

The idea that something could have happened to one of her friends made Cat's heart beat faster as she pushed the button to answer the call.

"Detective Allaway" She said, trying to keep her nerves in check.

The phone call lasted for about three minutes, but seeing as it was Steve who had finally called her, those three minutes made her smile more than she had in days. A few minutes later, Gareth came over to her again.

"Okay, spill the beans. What happened in the five minutes i was gone to make you smile like that?" Gareth asked.

"Steve finally called. We're supposed to meet up for coffee in thirty minutes" Cat replied with a smile.

"That's great!" Gareth exclaimed with a smile. It had been a long time since he had seen Cat smile like this, and he was happy for her. However, there were also a part of him that was hesitant about Cat seeing a new guy. He didn't want her to end up with another guy like Keith, and he had not yet met Steve. Still, he was willing to give this Steve guy the benefit of the doubt.

"Yeah, it is. Anyway, I need to get going, but I'll see you later, okay?" Cat said.

"Sure" and with that, Gareth walked back to his own desk and sat down again while Cat walked out the door, headed for her car.

* * *

Steve stood outside the coffee shop where he had first met Cat, waiting for her to get there. She was supposed to have been there ten minutes ago, and for a moment, Steve wondered if she had regretted saying yes to meeting with him again.

Just then, a black car stopped in front of the coffee shop and out stepped Cat. When he spotted her, Steve couldn't help but to smile, happy that she had decided to show up.

"I was worried that you weren't going to show up" Steve said as Cat locked her car and walked over to him.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world" Cat replied with a small smile and then added: "I was beginning to think that you weren't going to call me, but I'm glad you did"

"Sorry, I had some personal stuff that I needed to take care of" Steve replied a bit uneasily. Everything that had happened between him and Peggy was still a touchy subject for him, and while he enjoyed spending time With Cat, he wasn't ready to tell her about it.

"Is it anything you want to talk about?" Cat asked.

"No, not really" Steve replied, fidgeting a bit.

"Alright" Cat replied. She wasn't going to force Steve to talk about whatever it was that was obviously bothering him, since they had only known each other for a couple of weeks, and it seemed too intrusive if she did. Instead, she motioned for him to follow her into the coffee shop.

The hour that Cat's lunch break lasted flew by faster than she had expected it to and soon she was forced to return to work.

After she left, Steve returned to Avengers tower, as it had been dubbed after the battle of Manhattan, feeling happier than he had in a long time. While he had no real experience when it came to love and relationships, he had a good feeling about the friendship he had with Cat, and it was something that he wouldn't trade for anything in the world.


	5. Flashback: part two

A/N: Sorry for taking so long with updating this. Real life caught up with me, again, and I also had some trouble writing this chapter. Anyway, I hope you like how it turned out and don't forget to leave a review for me 3

* * *

_Cat sighed as she walked towards the building that functioned as headquarter for NYPD. Her and Keith had been fighting again and as usual, it had turned out violent. She had spent about an hour just this morning, trying to cover up the bruises that had formed on her skin as a result of the beating she had taken during their fight and she just hoped that she had done a good enough job on it so no one would notice anything._

_The last thing she needed was other people getting involved in this._

_Walking into the bullpen, she felt that she could finally relax somewhat. She was still scared that other people would notice her various bruises, but for some reason she always felt safer being around her fellow officers._

_As there was no cases for her and Gareth to work on at the moment, Cat decided that now would be a good time to finally get some of all the paperwork she had been putting off forever done. Sitting down at her desk, she turned on her computer, and while she waited for it to start up, she looked around, taking in her surroundings._

_In the bullpen, some of the other officers were moving around, taking care of whatever it was they were currently working on while others were talking to each other. Some were talking about current cases while others were just small-talking, and the the low hum of voices combined with the various other sounds floating through the air made Cat feel somewhat better._

_Just then, someone came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, causing Cat to jump in her seat. She spun her chair around and came face to face with one of the people she trusted the most: Gareth Jenkins._

_He was a good deal older than her and she was grateful that she had been partnered with him after she had finished her academy training. The fact that he was more experienced than her had saved both of them more than once, and while he could be very annoying when he wanted to, Cat was happy that she could call him a friend._

_"Cat, what happened to you?" He asked, looking shocked._

_'Damn, he noticed my eye' Cat thought, subconsciously touching her eye. "Nothing. Nothing happened at all" She replied, hoping that Gareth would leave it at that._

_But of course, he wouldn't._

_"You're lying. Something happened. Something that you're not telling me" He said, looking her straight in the eyes. "Come on, you know you can talk to me. I'll do whatever I can to help you, I promise, but you've got to tell me what's wrong first" He added._

_Cat sighed, knowing full and well that when Gareth acted like this, there was nothing she could do to change his mind. He was going to find out sooner or later, so she might as well tell him about what Keith had been doing to her herself._

_"Is there a more private place we can go to talk?" Cat sighed, folding har arms in front of her._

_"You want to go for a walk?" Gareth asked._

_"Sure" Cat said, getting up from her chair. Grabbing her coat, she then followed Gareth out of the bullpen, wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into._

* * *

_Two months after she had told Gareth about everything Keith had done to her, she was standing in the courthouse, waiting for the verdict to be made._

_She had not been directly involved with the case, seeing as she was too close to it all, but Gareth had made sure to keep her in the loop about the case._

_After working the case for two months, they finally had enough evidence to take it to court, and after several court hearings, it had finally come down to this moment._

_Though she did her best to not let it show, Cat could not remember ever having been so nervous before, and her thoughts went back to the day two months ago when she had finally decided - after her conversation with Gareth - that she had had enough of Keith abusing her._

_It had not been pretty and Keith had tried to convince her to stay, promising her that he would never, ever hurt her again. There was a part of her that had wanted to stay with him, believing that eh would really change, but she also knew that it was not true, that he was just lying to her to keep her from leaving._

_He had done it before, and at the time, she had believed him, but she wasn't going to allow herself to let it happen again._

_During the two months that the case had lasted, Cat had been living with Gareth in his apartment. At first, she had been reluctant to invade his privacy like that, but he had insisted that she stay with him and after a week, it started feeling natural to her._

_Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Gareth. During the court hearing he had never once left her side, and she was grateful for that. Despite not saying a word, he had been a pillar of strength and support for her throughout the case. She was not sure she would have been able to make it through the last two months if it had not been for him, and she was glad to have him as a friend._

_"Don't worry, it'll be over soon. That bastard will never lay a hand on you again, I promise" Gareth said, offering her a reassuring smile._

_Cat said nothing in reply and merely offered a small smile of her own in return. However, Gareth could see that it didn't reach her eyes, and he wished there was more he could do for her._

_"You shouldn't be making promises that you can't keep. He might go to prison now, but someday, he'll be out on the street again" Cat said, her voice quiet._

_Just then, the jury came back into the room and Cat could feel Gareth tightening his grip on her shoulder ever so slightly. He kept his hand on her shoulder while the jury presented the verdict, and when they were done, he pulled her closer to him for a hug._

_One year in prison._

_After a few minutes, Gareth finally let go of Cat and despite her tears, she managed to smile. She was finally free, and she had never in her life felt better._


End file.
